Bangladesh is set to seek several billion U.S. dollars from the rich nations to help fight the impacts of climate change in an international conference on climate change in London on Wednesday, a leading local newspaper reported.
The Bangladesh side is expected to seek fund for a "trust fund" in the conference to help the country to enable its adaptation to a rising sea-level, mounting natural disasters and decline in crop yields, The Financial Express reported on Tuesday.
The conference titled, "UK-Bangladesh Climate Change Conference: Bangladesh Facing the Challenge," is being jointly organized by the British and Bangladesh governments.
"The country will require several billion dollars by next decade to build dams, cyclone shelters, plant trees along the coast and build infrastructure and capacities to adapt to increasing number of natural disasters," a senior official of the ministry of environment and forest said.
Bangladesh, which is among the most vulnerable nations of climate change, will articulate a strategic vision for tackling catastrophes and launch an action plan during the conference.
It will highlight its plight and vulnerability and planned adaptation strategy to climate change before the international donors during the conference.
Participants from vulnerable South Asian countries, donors including the World Bank, the private sector, academics and non-governmental organizations working will attend the conference.
Environmental experts fear Bangladesh will be experiencing more storms and cyclone, floods, droughts and rainfall as a direct impact of climate change.
"Up to 40 percent of the country may be affected by flood and up to 8 percent by drought on annual basis by 2050 due to climate change," they said.
Sea level rise may permanently flood 6-8 percent of the coastland low-lying lands by 2050 and may force thousands of people to relocate.
Seventy million people could be affected annually by floods in Bangladesh by 2050.
Production of rice and wheat could decline by 8 percent and 32 percent by 2050, compared to 1990.
Source:Xinhua
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